# Election 2025: Advocates Campaign for Increased Funding on HIV Prevention for Queer Filipinos
As the 2025 Philippine national elections approach, LGBTQ+ advocates are intensifying their calls for political candidates to prioritize increased domestic funding for HIV prevention and treatment programs. This push comes at a critical time as foreign aid, particularly from the United States, has faced significant disruptions, creating urgent funding gaps for essential services.
In January 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump implemented a 90-day freeze on foreign assistance that severely impacted HIV/AIDS programs across the Philippines. This freeze ultimately led to the termination of 90% of foreign aid programs, including vital support for HIV treatment and prevention services that disproportionately affect the LGBTQ+ community.
## The Impact of Foreign Aid Disruptions
The consequences of this aid reduction have been immediate and substantial. Ten partner clinics of LoveYourself, a leading HIV testing and treatment service provider in the Philippines, were forced to close due to their complete dependence on USAID funding. This situation has created a critical service gap in a country already facing what some experts call a “silent epidemic” of HIV.
Dr. Ronivin Pagtakhan, founder of LoveYourself, emphasized the importance of self-sustaining models and government partnerships that allowed his organization to keep its doors open despite the freeze. “We were preparing for these kinds of circumstances,” Pagtakhan noted, highlighting that their basic programs remain free despite the challenges.
## Election Advocacy Intensifies
LGBTQ+ organizations are now strategically using the election period to advocate for sustainable domestic funding solutions. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has partnered with the Philippine Anti-discrimination Alliance of Youth Leaders (PANTAY) through Project Rainbow AGENDA to create platforms where members of the LGBTQ+ community can voice their concerns directly to candidates.
“We would also want to be seen as partners in the democratic process and nation-building,” stated PANTAY National Convener Vince Renzo Liban during the signing of their memorandum of understanding with Comelec.
## The Need for Sustainable Funding
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has highlighted that investment in HIV prevention is declining globally, with an alarming 80% funding gap reported in 2023. In the Philippines, organizations like Cebu United Rainbow LGBT Sector (CURLS) are working toward complete protection ordinances that encourage LGBTQ+ communities to engage more proactively with health services.
Advocates are calling on candidates to commit to boosting sustainable investments in the HIV response if elected. They emphasize that addressing both service provision and the structural barriers that impede access to these services is essential for an effective response to the HIV epidemic affecting queer Filipinos.
As election day draws nearer, the campaign for increased domestic HIV funding stands as a critical test of the country’s commitment to protecting its most vulnerable citizens.
